Apple’s annual developer and software-oriented gathering, the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), is less than two months away. Apple is expected to provide substantial updates to all of its operating systems this year, including watchOS 9, iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, and tvOS 16, offering new capabilities and a more polished experience to existing devices, similar to prior years.
ID card and keys in the Wallet app, a redesigned Home app, additional workout types, the Mindfulness app, Sleep tracking upgrades, a Portrait mode watch face, Focus modes, and more were all included in watchOS 8. According to what we know so far about watchOS 9, Apple will concentrate on various system functions, as well as health monitoring, activity tracking, and Workout app enhancements.
watchOS 9
According to Kuo, watchOS 9 may not support the Apple Watch Series 3 since its processing capacity is insufficient to satisfy the demands of a new operating system. As a result, watchOS 9 would only be available for Apple Watch Series 4 models released in 2018 or after.
While major new versions of Apple’s operating systems are routinely unveiled at WWDC in early June, the updates aren’t usually distributed to the public until the fall, which Kuo predicts will coincide with the discontinuation of the Apple Watch Series 3 and the debut of new Apple Watch models.
iOS 15 has a revised notification system, Focus modes, Spatial Audio and SharePlay in FaceTime calls, Live Text, ID cards in the Wallet app, new privacy features, and redesigns for Safari, Maps, Weather, and Notes, among other things. iOS 16 is expected to address notifications once more, as well as make a number of improvements to the Health app.
Apple’s long-rumoured mixed reality headset will purportedly have built-in support in iOS 16
iOS 16
iOS 15 supported the same devices as iOS 13 and iOS 14, with the oldest supported devices being the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and first-generation iPhone SE. It’s unclear whether iOS 16 will ultimately discontinue support for these older A9-based devices.
System Features
- Enhanced notifications
- Crash Detection feature, the same as in watchOS 9
- Preliminary support for Apple’s mixed-reality headset
Health App
- Expanded sleep tracking
- New medicine management feature to scan pills and get reminders to take them
- New women’s health features
Apple Music
- Optional Apple Music app for classical music with specializations for classical music metadata
- User interface based on Primephonic
- “Visual, audial, and haptic” aspects
- Option to redirect from tracks in the Apple Music app to Apple Classical
- Support for Lossless and Spatial Audio
iPadOS 16
iPadOS 16 is yet unknown, however, it is expected to include the majority of iOS 16’s new features, as well as numerous iPad-specific additions. Early rumours concerning iPadOS 16 have solely come from Gurman, with the main change now focusing on enhancements to the multitasking experience.
In recent years, Apple has improved the multitasking experience in iPadOS by adding features like Slide Over, Split View, and the dock. iPadOS 15 introduced a new multitasking menu at the top of apps, as well as a new centre window, a new multiwindow shelf, and a more intuitive Split View experience. The specific details of iPadOS 16’s multitasking enhancements are still unknown.
At WWDC, which starts on Monday, June 6, Apple is likely to show off watchOS 9, iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, and tvOS 16. The new operating systems are likely to be seeded to developers for testing the same day after they are announced at the conference. Apple is expected to release it to public beta testers later in the summer.
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